Mail-bag crane.



P. HANSON & S. MATNEY.-

MAIL BAG CRANE.

APILIoATIoN FILED 00T. 7, 1909.

946,774. Patented Jan. 18,1910.

mf 452m@ /fdz m, l I m/ UNTE@ STATES PTNP @ldldli PAUL HANSON AND SOLLIE MATNEY, OF RGCKFORD, WASHINGTON.

lVIAL-BAGr CRANE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PAUL Hanson and SOLLIE MATNEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Spokane and State of Vashington, have invented certain neiT and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Cranes; and we do de- Clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the arty to which it appertains to make and use the same.

rl`his invention relates to improvements in mail bag cranes.

The object of the invention is to provide a mail bag crane having adjustable bag holding arms and means whereby the arm may be lowered to receive the mail bag and then raised to support the bag in position to be taken by the bag catching mechanism of a passing train.

1`With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view ofthe crane showing the parts in operative position and supporting a mail bag. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section with the parts in a lowered or inoperative position. Fig. 3 is a rear view showing the manner in which the bag holding arms are secured to support the bag in elevated position as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. L1 is a similar View showing the position of the parts when the bag holding arms are lowered; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

ln the embodiment of the invention, we provide an upright supporting standard 1. which may be of any suitable height and which is provided on its lower ends with suitable legs 2, and a brace 3, whereby the standard is securely fastened to the ground or to a supporting platform. The standard 1, comprises a back plate 4L, in which is formed a central longitudinally disposed slot 5, which extends from the upper end of the standard to a point near the lower end thereof. On the front side of the plate. adjacent to its opposite edges are guide bars or strips (i, which are spaced a suitable distance from the back plate to form guide channels 7.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 1909.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Serial No. 521,503.

`Slidably engaged with the guide channels 7, is a bag holding plate 8, to the upper end of which is connected a raising and lowering chain or cable 9, which passes upwardly over a guide pulley 10, arranged in a supplemental frame 11, secured to the top of the standard 1, as shown. The chain 9, after passing over the pulley 10, extends downwardly on the rear side of the back plate and is connected at its lower end with an operat` ing yoke 12. which is pivoted in bearing eyes 13, on the rear side of the plate 4;, as shown. To the yoke 12, is connected an operating chain 111, which extends down `within convenient reach of the operator and is provided on its lower end with a suitable handle 15. The yoke 12, is provided on its' inner end with a clamping member 16, formed by a continuation of one end of the rod which forms the yoke.

'Vhen it is desired to raise the bag holding plate 8, to an operative position, the '-,hain 14, is pulled downwardly thus bringing the yoke 12, over and down against the rear side of the back plate below its pivotal connection therewith which movement 'if the yoke will pull down on the chain 9, thus drawing the bag holding` plate up on the front side of the standard to the position shown in Fig. 1, of the drawing. Af er the voke has thus been swung downwardly, the chain 9, is engaged under the clamping `nember 16, which securely fastens the same nd holds the plate 8, in an elevated position.

On the front side of the bag holding plate are upper and lower bag holding arms 17 and 18, said arms being hingedly connected at their inner ends to the front side of the plate 8, between the guide bars G, of the standard. Vhen in an inoperative position, the arms 17 and 18, swing downwardly against the front side of the plate S, as shown in Fig. 2, of the drawings.

Hingedly connected to the inner side of the upper arm 17, is a brace 19. which` when the arms are in operative position engages a catch or stop lug 20, on the upper side of the lower arm, thus holding` the upper arm in extended position. The lower arm 18, is held in extended position by its engagement with the bag after the latter is connected at its opposite end with the outer end of the upper bar. On the outer ends of the arms 17 and 1S are arranged bag engaging lingers 2l, which are adapted to be engaged with the supporting loops on the opposite ends of the mail bag in the usual manner.

ln the operation of the device, the bag holding` plate 8, is lowered in the manner described and the arms 17 and '18 adjusted and the mail bag engaged therewith after which the yoke l2, is swung downwardly, thus drawing on the chain 9, and raising the plate S, and the bar supporting arms together with the bag to an operative position, whereby the latter may be taken by the bag catching mechanism of a passing train. By supporting the upper bag holding arm in the manner described, said arm and the lower arm will automatically drop to an inoperative position against the side of the standard as soon as the bag is taken, thus preventing said arms from being struck and broken by passing trains.

F rom the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details o1 construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages o'f the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Ha ving thus described our invention what we claim is:

l. ln a mail bag crane,a supporting standard, a bag holding plate slidably engaged with said standard, bag holding arms hingedly connected to said plate, meansl whereby said arms are held in an operative position by the engagement of a bag therewith, a hoisting chain connected with said plate, an operating yoke connected with said chain, and means to clamp the chain and thereby hold the bag holding plate and arms in operative position.

2. In a mail bag crane, a supporting standard having formed therein guide channels, a bag holding plate slidably mounted in said channels, upper and lower bag holding arms hingedly connected to said plate, a brace hingedly connected to said upper bag holding arm and adapted to engage said bag holding arm whereby when a mail bag is engaged with the arms the latter will be held in an operative position to support the bag, a guide pulley in the upper end of said standard, a hoisting chain connected to said bag holding plate and engaging said pulley, a yoke pivotally mounted on the rear side of said channel and connected to the opposite end of said chain, a chain clamping member formed on said yoke and adapted to secure the chain and thereby hold the bag supporting plate in an operative posi` tion, and means connected to said yoke whereby the latter is operated.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL HANSGN. SOLLE MATNEY.

lVitnesses D. D. ll'TA'rsoN, D. A. MA'rUnN. 

